Railway cattle-guard



(No Model.)

0. J. TRAVIS. RAILWAY CATTLE GUARD.

Patented Dec. 30

3 UNITE-D STATES PATENT ()rrrcn.

OlVEN J. TRAVIS, OF MARSHALLTOVVN, IOWA.

RAILWAY CATTLE-G UARD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 443,554, dated December 30, 1890.

Application filed October 9, 1890. gerial No. 367,605. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, OWEN J. TRAVIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Marshall,- town, in the county of Marshall and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway Cattle-Guards; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in that class of guards for railroads known as surface guards, to be used in preventing cattle and stock from entering or crossing the track; and the novelty will be fully understood froin the following description and claims when taken in connection with the annexed drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of a part of a railway-track, showing my improvements applied. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the same, taken in the plane indicated by the dotted line so so on Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is an end view of a portion of the horizontal or main guard-section, showing one of the side sections supported in an inclined position.

Referring by letter to said drawings, A indicates the cross-ties suitably arranged in the road-bed to receive and support the usual rails or irons a. The two outer ties or beams have secured to their upper sides verticallydisposed flanges or angle-irons I), provided along their length with holes 0, as shown, to receive the journal ends of the bars or strips 13, as will be presently explained.

The central tie a is provided with two similar flanges or angle-irons Z), arranged parallel to each other and provided with holes to receive the adjacent ends of two sets of guard.- strips. These strips, which are shown at B in the form of a grating, are of a suitable length and preferably formed of bright sheet metal, although they may be formed of other suitable material. Said strips are provided at opposite ends and at points above their centers with tenons or journal-lug extensions, which are received loosely in the eyes or holes of the flanged strips or irons b, so that they may be free to vibrate on their journals, and it should be observed that these strips are so arranged as to rest on edge.

I have shown the main body of the guard,

or that portion which lies horizontally, as arranged in six sections, as by this means the strips of the several sections will not vibrate in unison, but their movements of vibrations will vary with respect to each other, and thereby serve more effectually in keeping away cattle and stock, and it will also be observed that the strips are arranged longitudinally with respect to the rails, so that their movements will be readily seen by stock approaching the crossing or track.

D D indicate side sections or lateral wings. These side sections are of a tapering form, and are preferably arranged on an incline with relation to the track or main section of the guard. Said sections D carry swinging or pivoted strips 0, similar in construction and arrangement to those in the main or horizontal sections, and their frames are pivoted to the outer corners of the main section, as shown at E, whereby they may be made to assume a position of any desired angular inclination. In practice these hinged sections are designed to be supported by a post or the like, as better shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. The frame of these sections D may be composed of a single bar or iron e bent about midway of its length, as shown at f, and thence carried obliquely in opposite directions and terminating in journals h, which enter holes in the angle-irons or flanges b. By this construction the sections are connected by a cheap and durablehinge-joint, and may be raised or lowered to any desired angle of in clination.

With a device of the character described cattle will positively be prevented from gaining access to the right of way of railroads from highways or other places where live stock is allowed to range. By the vibrations of the strips cattle will become alarmed, and should they attempt to cross the track the displacement of the slats or strips will not permit them to walk over.

It is not necessary to dig a pit in order to set the guard, and it does not require skilled labor to construct it.

Having described my invention, what I claim is 1. A cattle-guard for railways, composed of the horizontal strips set upon edge and free to vibrate and the hinged sections on oppo site sides of the rails, also having vilJrattn-y l and cross-ties, of the angle-irons secured to strips, substantially as specified.

L. A cattle-guard composed of horizontal strips arranged upon edge and tree to vibrate, said strips being supported in sections be- 1 tween and also on opposite sides of the tlflClirails, and Yertieally'adjustable side guards having vibratory strips and hinged to the horizontal guards, substantially as specified. i

3. A cattle-guard having horizontally-an 1 ranged vibratory strips on opposite sides of l the track-rails, in combination with lateral l wings or sections having tapering sides and 3 hinged to the frame of the horizontal strips, said side sections alsoha-ving vibratory strips, substantially as specified.

l. The combination, with the track-rails i the ties and having round holes, the horizontal strips arranged on edge in said holes and adapted to vibrate, the side sections composed of the bars 0, bent; as shown, and also having round holes, vibratory strips arranged in said holes, and said sections hinged to the main section so as to be adjusted on an in oline with respect thereto, substantially as specified.

l'ntestimony whereoflatfix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

OWEN .I. TRAVIS.

Witnesses:

1E0. A. ilnt onx, ANTI-amt (l. DALY. 

